Electric fuse



C. O. CARRIER Dec. 29, 1925- ELECTRIC FUSE Filed April 30. 1924 2 Sheets$heet l W a; W

ATTORNEY.

C- O. CARRIER ELECTRIC FUSE Filed April 30; 1 924 2 sheets-Sheet z mmvmk W 6M ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED @FFEQE.

ELECTRIC FUSE.

Application filed April 30, 1924.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE O. CARRIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric Fuses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electric fuses of the type wherein a rotatable member is arranged to carry a length of fuse wire and designed to be easily manipulated to actively position new lengths of wire to replace burnt out portions.

An object of this invention is to provide a rotatable fuse wire carrying member wherein the wire is drawn from a supply reel and gripped between cam actuated jaws included in an arm arrangement of the fuse carrier.

Another object is to provide a rotatable fuse carrying member in which the jaws are automatically and positively opened at predetermined points to release portions of burnt out fuse wire.

A further object is to provide a device of this character wherein the rotatable fuse carrying member is manually operable by a means which also insures against inaccurate final positioning of a length of fuse wire.

It is also an object to provide a novel. form of arm wherein the jaws are constructed to firmly grip a fuse wire and at times to be positively opened so that remaining portions of burnt fuses may be expelled.

It is likewise an object to provide a fuse and switch housing or box wherein unlocking of the cover or closure will simultaneously open the switch and wherein the arrangement is such as to prevent closing of the switch prior to again locking the cover in closed position.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, I have in the accompanying illustrative drawings, and in the following detailed description based thereon set out one possible embodiment of th same Serial No. 710,044.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the in vention the closure of the box or housing being open;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of one of the rotatable fuse carrying members and its associated parts;

Figure 3 is a detail view showing the structure of one of the radial jaw carrying arms;

Figure 4 is an end view of an arm as shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the arm shown in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken subor plates, one being connected to one side of a feed line leading from a knife switch or the like, and the other contact plug being connected to a wire leading to the house wiring system. For the sake of clearness, reference will be had in most instances to one of these members.

Each of these rotatable fuse carrying members is mounted upon a spindle 10, which in turn is mounted at one end in the bottom of the box or housing and at its other or outer end in a bracket 11 which in this instance is substantially U-shaped and pro vided with attaching feet 12 by means of which rigid connection is provided between the bracket and the housing. As shown, this rotatable fuse carrying member consists of a central disc 13 made up of fibre or the like and provided with recesses extending radially and designed to snugly receive the inner ends of radial circumferentially spaced arms 14:, each of which includfl$ if anember 22.

its structure, fuse wire gripping jaws. The inner ends of these arms 14 are secured in the recesses formed in the body portion 13 by means of additional fibre discs 15 which are clamped upon opposite faces of said body portion and held in such position by means of metal discs 16 which are riveted or otherwise interconnected. Each of these arms comprises an elongated flat finger 17 whose inner end is disposed in one of said radial recesses and at this point coacts with a supporting member 18 to firmly mount a fiat leaf spring 19. As is apparentin Figures 3 and 5, this spring 19 serves to normally separate'the fuse wire clamping jaws. Arranged upon and riveted or otherwise secured to the outer end of the finger 17 is a substantially L shaped jaw member 20 which has a pair ofspaced depending guide fingers or legs 21 which straddles pivoted jaw The inner end of this pivoted jaw member 22;is connectedto the supporting member 18 by means of a pin or the like '23. Theouter-portion 2 1 of this pivoted jaw is widened from the pair of spaced guidefingers-Ql to its outerend, at which point it is bent right angularly and downwardly a-nd'carriesat its lower end a roller 25 or the'like. In order that these arms mayE'be moved circumferentially lever 26 is providedand designed to actuate a pawl and ratchet ,mechanism, the ratchet wheel 27 thereof being fixed to thenpper end of .thespindle 10, thus insuringits rotation. As is apparent, this ratchet wheel includes a number of teeth corresponding to the numwberofradialnarms and these teeth are so positioned with respect to the arms that upon movement of the lever 26 into con tact with thestop or'shoulder 28, a new length offuse wire willbe accurately and activelypositioned. The pawl 29 is yieldably engaged with the, teeth. under influence of aleaf spring 30. Thelever 26 by means of -which the fuse earrying --member is retated, .is normally retained in the position shown an Figure 1 against the stop pin 31 by;means-of aicoil spring whichis tensioned upon movement of the operating lever.

The "fuse wire 83 as shown in Fi ures 1 0 l c and 21s d-raw f-rom a supply spool or reel .34 which is fixed-to the bottom of thebox or housing at a ,point adjacent the ;rotatable fuse carr rin wmember. This suaal saool Fixed to the bottom of the box or housing is a cam member 36 adapted to eoact with the arms l lin such a manner as to grip and irelease the fuse wire 33 at predetermined and um arying intervals. This cammember 36 as shown in F gures 1. and 52 carries a pair .eration a new brought ,into active position i and the device pe d ng influence of thetensioned spring 32 it will return to its original position as shown in Figure 1. Vhththecompletron of thls oplength of fuse W11fe=l12IS been isagainready to function. =VVith movement of this lever 26,.the rollers 25 carried bythe wire clamping jaws travel over the inclined or cam surface 38and with this movement tightly grip the fuse wire and cause rotation of the supply spool or reel-34ethus providing a continuous feed of said fuse wire. While this gripping action is taking place at one side of the cam, the jawsof the other side are automatically separated undertension ofthe leafspring 19 andconsequently release the remaining.portions of the ,fuse. Actionof this. springto separatethe wire gripping jaws is permitted thronglrarranging the main body portion of the cam in a plane outwardly from the remaining portion of the track over which the rollers 25 pass.

lllanifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and such modification as may fall within thescope of my claims, I consider within thespirit. of

my invention.

I claim:

1. An electrical device including a rotatable fuse carrying member, radial arms carried by said member, each arm comprising a top finger, a depending at the-outer end of said linger, a depending bracket adjacent the inner end of said finger, a jaw pivoted to said bracket to coact withthe depending ,jaw, spring means for normally separating the jaws, a depending leg carried by the pivoted jaw,.and means for elevating the pivoted jaw to coact with the dejaw to grip a fuse wire.

2. A fuse wire gripperfor anelectrical device of the character described, including a fixed jaw, a pivoted jawadapted forceaction with said fixed aw, aspri-ng arranged between said jaws and tending to separate them. a. -depending 'legcarried by said pivoted jaw, a roller carried by said depending leg, and a pair ofdepcndingguide fingers carriedby thelixed jaw and straddling the pivoted jaw.

8. An electricaldevice comprising, a rotatable member, radial arms on said member, each arm consisting of an upper and lower lit) jaw pivoted together at their inner ends, spring means normally separating the jaws, a depending arm on the lower jaw and a roller on' the lower end of the arm.

4. An electrical device of the character de scribed comprising, a rotatable member, radial arms on said member, each arm having an upper and lower jaw pivoted together at their inner ends, said lower jaw being substantially L-shaped, spring means tending to 10 separate the jaws, and guides for retaining the jaws in alinement.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

CLARENCE O. CARRIER. 

